Mechanism for braking steering apparatus



Patented Sept. I3, 1898;.

W. T. JOHNSTON.

MECHANISM FOR BRAKING STEERING APPARATUS.

(Application flied Sept. 13, 1897.)

(No Model.)

NIZEJITUH WITNESBEB 'me Nonms PETERS co. Pnoumno. wAsHworo n. c

IlITnn l l WILLIAM T JOHNSTON, on NEWPORT, KENTUCKY.

lVlECHANlSlVl FOR BRAKING STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 610,680, datedSeptember 13, 1898.

Application tiled September 13, 1897. Serial No. 651,442. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Newport, in the county of Campbell andState of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMechanism for Braking the Steering Apparatus of Boats when suchApparatus is Operated by Steam, of which the following is aspecification.

The several features of my invention and the various advantagesresulting from their use, conjointly or otherwise, will be apparent fromthe following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, making a part of this application, and inwhich similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figurel is a plan view of mechanism illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same mechanism. Fig. 3 is an elevation of themechanism in immediate connection with the steering apparatus. Suchmechanism will be found centrally located in the left-hand portion ofFig. l, and the elevation shown in Fig. 3 is that which faces toward theright in said Fig. l.

My invention is applicable to various descriptions of steering apparatusoperated by steam-power. For purposes of illustration I have taken asteering-gear of lmy own invention and will explain the application ofmy present invention thereto. A short preliminary description of thesteering apparatus will be in place and is as follows:

The steam cylinder A is located transversely to the length of the boatIand is secured in position, for example, by the clamps A2 A2 or othersuitable connections. Vithin the cylinder is a suitable piston connectedto a piston-rod A3. This rod is provided with a fixed guide, as A4, toprevent it from being laterally deflected. yThrough this guide the outerend portion of the rod reciprocates. The tiller B is duly connected to across-head. Preferred means of making this connection consist asfollows: A cross-head A5, sliding on the guides A6 A6, is iixed to thepiston A2. A connecting-rod A7, pivoted at one end to this cross-headA5, is at the other end connected to the tiller B, in turn working therudder or rudders in any of the wellknown modes. In the presentillustrative instance B R indicate the rudder, and B R P therudder-post. To the free end B2 of the tiller B vare connected thecords, ropes, or chains B2 B3, extending from the tiller in dia vergentand substantially opposite directions. Each chain B3 then passes aroundits own wheel B4 and running forward toward the pilot-house passesaround its wheelB5, and then these ropes from opposite directions arewound upon the hub B7 of the pilot-wheel B8 in the usual manner, andwhen desired are connected together. Slieave- Wheels B6 B6 may bepresent, respectively, for aiding the efficient action ofthe chains B2.A steamvalve C receives a supply of steam from a boiler throughinlet-pipe C2, and this valve can communicate steam to one end of thecylinder A by means of the conduit C4 and the other end through conduitC2 or can altogether cut olf the supply o f steam to the cylinder A,according as it (the Valve),is moved. The valve is so arranged as toexpand one end of cylinder A when the otherV is taking steam. The valveC is operated by a lever C5 in pivotal connection with rod CG.A Theforward end of this rod connects pivotally with one end D3 of anangulated or bell-crank lever D, pivotally fulcrumed at D2. The otherend of this lever D is pivotally connected to one end of theconnecting-rodE. The other end of this rod E is pivotally connected toarm F2 of lever F, the latter fulcrumed at F3 to a iiixed point or on axed bar, as G. The lower end of lever F at F4 is pivotally connected toone end of a connecting-rod H, and the other end of this rod isconnected at H2 to the lower portion of a lever K. This lever K isfulcrumedat K3 to a suitable fixed part, as bar Gr, of the boat. Thelower end of lever K is pivotally connected to a connecting-rod L,extending down and at its lower end pivoted at L2 to one end of thelever M. The lever is fulcrurned at M2 and` at its other end engages abell-crank lever N, fulcrumed at N2 to a part of the boat. The lower endof this lever N engages a bolt or rod P, which passes across under thepilot-wheel from rear to front and engages a swinging or movablebrake-piece R, arranged when operated to bear against the pilot-wheel,preferably near or at its periphery, as shown. The bolt or rod P can beshortened or lengthened as to its working IOO length by any suitablemeans. One description of such means consists of the nut P3, screwed onthe end of the rod P. The brakepiece R when swung to oscillate may bepivotally connected to a fixed part, as R3, and the piece R3, to whichthe lever Nis pivoted, may be swung from a pivot R4, as shown, and bindagainst the rear side of the pilot-wheel as the piece R binds againstthe front side of said pilot-wheel.

The operation of my invention is substantially as follows, viz: Steambeing up in the boiler and the boat making ready to start or havingalready started, when the pilot desires to steer the boat to the righthe grasps one or both of the levers F and K and moves them to the rightor left, as the case may be and according as the valve acts relativelyto conduits C3 and C4 in supplying them with steam. In the presentinstance when the pilot desires to steer the prow of his boat toward theright he moves the upper ends of the levers F and K toward the right..Such a movement lifts rod E and draws rod OG forward and causes thevalve C to admit steam to conduit C3, thus moving the free end of therudder toward the right. Moving the upper ends of the levers F and Ktoward the left causes the valve C to cut off steam from conduit O3 andto admit steam to conduit C4, thereby moving the piston toward the rightand the free end of the rudder toward the left. In this way the prow ofthe boat wou-ld be turned toward the left. When the operator locates thelevers F and K at the middle point of their movement, the steam will becut 0E from cylinder A.

In operating steam steering apparatus it will be found that disadvantageous operations attend the steering of the boat. For instance, itwill be found that when the levers have been moved in a given directionthe tendency of the mechanism is to continue its movement although steamhas been altogether out off. Then, again, it will happen that strongcurrents of the stream itself or caused by the rapid motion of thevessel or by the vessels motion combined with the natural current of thestream will have a tendency (often successful) to move the rudder whenthe steam for operating it has been cut off. lt will be readilyunderstood byl those skilled in navigation that when the boat is beingmoved backward the tendency of' the rudder will be to move in directionsthe reverse of those in which it would move when the boat was runningforward. It is natural that when the boat has been sufficiently turned,or has impetus in a given direcction to turn sufficiently, the pilotshould move the levers to their middle position, thereby cutting off thesteam. lt is then that the tendency of the rudder to move (when itshould stand still) occurs. Such tendency might be overcome to someextent if the pilot grasps the handles of the spokes of the ordinarypilot-wheel B3; but such grasping is not only somewhat awkward, but itis difficult to control thus the rudders movements in the case of alarge boat. It is at this juncture in the operation of steering that myinvention becomes very advantageous and useful.

l When in steering the proper time arrives to cut off the steam, thepilot moves the levers F and K to their mid-position. As they reach thisposition the end M3 of the lever M is elevated and causes lever N todraw the free ends of the brake-pieces R and R3 together l and pinch thefelly of the pilot-wheel between them,and thus securely (brake) hold thewheel from turning. Thus the chains B3 and B4 will be held stationary,the tiller held fast, and the rudder held still in the desired position.In thus securely holding the rudder in the desired position the pilot isrelieved from all labor and care. When he desires to again move therudder, he moves the levers F and K to the right or left, as desired. Ashe thus moves them they draw up the end M4 of lever M and depress itsother end M3, thereby disengaging the hold of the brake R R3 uponthepilot-wheel and leaving it and its chains B3 B4 free to move. Thebraking device may not only be applied to the pilot-wheel, but also toother parts of the mechanism, either to accompany the brake alreadydescribed or to be operated as a separate device. Thus, for example, therod CG may be continued to one end of a lever C7, pivotally connected atits other end to a fixed part of the boat. One end of a rod C3 isconnected at C9 to the lever G7 and the other end to a lever C10,working a clamp C13, arranged when worked to clamp the rod A3, as shown.When the levers F and K are at their mid-length and the steam shut od,the clamp C13 will be inoperative; but when'the levers F and K are movedto the right or left of their mid-position the lever C10 will be movedto the right or left of its middle (inactive) position and will clampthe rod A3 and set fast the tiller and rudder.v

It will now be evident that the broad feature of my invention covers theapplication to a steam steering apparatus of abrake actuulated. Variousdevices and subapplications may be made in carrying into effect thisbroad feature of my invention; but the same are naturally and properlyincluded thereunder. Preferred description of the special devices whichmay be employed to enable the action of the leverswhich control andregulate the action of the steam for steering the vessel to also actuatethe brakes has been already presented.

Obviously one of the levers F or K can be dispensed with and themechanism of both be combined in one; but the two are desirable becausethey each afford a hold for the hands of the pilot-the right lever forhis right hand 'and the left lever for his left hand-and he holds hishands in much the same position as when manipulating the pilot-wheel.Furthermore, he can readily transfer his hands from' IOO IIO

the levers to the wheel and return them, as

desired. i

What I claim as new and of myinvention,

and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a steam apparatus for moving the steering apparatus of a boat, thecombinationof a lever at the pilot-wheel, adapted to control themechanism for furnishing steam to said apparatus, and the brake adaptedto engage the pilot-Wheel, and connected to the wheel-lever byintermediate mechanism, for enabling the wheel-lever to work the brake,substantially as and for the purposes specitied.

2. In a steam steering apparatus, the combination of a lever at thepilotwheel, adapted to control the mechanism for supplying steam to saidapparatus, and a brake adapted to engage the rod for moving the tiller,and intermediate mechanism for enabling the wheellever to loosen thebrake, when it, the lever, is shifted to the right or left, and to applythe brake lwhen this wheel-lever is located in its mid-position,substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a steam steering apparatus, the combination of alever, at thepilot-wheel, adapted to control the mechanism for supplying steam tosaid apparatus, and two cooperative brakes, one at the pilot-wheel andthe other at the rod for moving the tiller, and mechanism for enablingthe whee1-lever to loosen the brakes, when it, the lever, is shifted tothe right or left, and to apply the brakes when this wheellever islocated in its mid-position, substantially as and t'or the purposesspecified.

4. In an apparatus in which steam is employed to steer the vessel, thecombination of a lever at the pilot-wheel, and the connecting mechanismfor regulating the supply of steam, and the. rod L, lever M, lever N,and brake R, R3, engaging the pilot-wheel, substantially as andfor thepurposes specified.

5. In an apparatus in which steam is employed to steer the vessel, thecombination of a lever at the pilot-wheel, and the connecting' mechanismfor regulating the supply of steam, and the lever C7, rod CS, lever C10,and clamp C12, and rod A3, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

6. In an apparatus in which steam is employed to steer the vessel, thecombination of a lever at the pilot-wheel, and the connecting mechanismfor regulating the supply of steam,

.and the rod L, lever M, lever N, and brake R, R3, engaging thepilot-Wheel, and the lever C7, rod C8, lever C10, and clamp C12, and rodA3, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. In a steam steering apparatus, the combination of a lever at thepilot-Wheel, adapted to control the supply of steam. to operate therudder, the two Wheel-levers F and K, connected by rod II, and incombination, as follows, the combination of the lever K, and rod L,levers M, N, and brake against pilot-wheel, and the combination of leverF with rod E, lever D, rod C6, lever C5, valve C, cylinder A withpiston, conduits C3 and C4 thereto, rod A3, and rod A7, and tiller, andrudder and rudder chains and pilot wheel, the latter proximate to thelevers F and K, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

8. In a steam steering apparatus, the combination of a lever, at thepilot-Wheel, adapted to control the supply of steam to operate therudder, the two wheel-levers F and K, connected by rod II, and incombination, as follows, the combination of lever K, and rod L, leversM, N, and brake against pilot-Wheel, and the combination of lever F withrod E,

lever D, rod C0, lever C5, valve C, cylinder A with piston, conduits C3and C4 thereto, rod A3, and lever C7, rod C8, rod O10,clamp C12, and rodA7 and tiller, rudder, rudder-chains and pilot-wheel, at wheel-levers,substantially as Attest:

A. S. LUDLow, K. SMITH.

